Friday 29th November

This week in maths, we have been continuing our learning about money. We started by comparing groups of coins. First we had to calculate the total, using the efficient strategies we had learnt, and then we compared the values using the <, = or > symbols. Here are some examples for you to try at home:

The next day we found the difference between two values. We practise a range of strategies including:

·         Counting on using head and fingers

·         Counting on using number line

·         Counting on using bead string

Each time we thought about what is the same and what is the different. We checked that we could either count on or backwards between the numbers as the difference is the same. We noticed that we could simplify out thinking by knowing that we can take away the part that is the same and we are left with the difference. Therefore, to find the difference between two values we can subtract the smaller value.

We used our learning about finding the difference the next day when we played shops! One child ‘bought’ an item and paid with coins. The other child worked out the change – the difference between the value of the item and the money tendered. Please practise playing shops at home with your child and encourage them to work out the change required. You could challenge them by adding several items to find the total, and then find the change required.

On Friday, we put all our learning about money to good use as we tackled 2-step written questions.  Here are some examples that you might like to try at home:

The children have asked if I can add a game to the blog that we have been playing at school. It is lots of fun and is a good way to practise using coins to make a given amount. The game is ‘Custom Car Garage’ on ICTgames.com. I hope you have fun and enjoy your designs!

Next week we will be starting our multiplication and division topic. We will be counting in 2s, 5s and 10s as previously, and we will start to count in 3s.

This week in English we have continued learning about explanation texts.

On Monday we read an explanation text about Liam the gardener and the jobs he does over the different seasons.
First we read the text as a class and then we had to write the two most important pieces of information that we learnt.
1. Liam was a gardener
2. He worked in a park because he loved being outdoors.

Next we found out about his jobs that he does over the year.
After that we worked in threes sorting out Liam’s jobs according to the season and weather.

We found out that his busiest time of year was the summer months when he had lots of jobs to do. Ask your child what Liam had to do in the summer and why?
Why did Liam have to sweep the leaves in Autumn?
When does Liam have to cut the grass in the park?

The next day we used a planning sheet to plan our own explanation text about Liam the gardener through the seasons. We co-constructed a toolkit to show the features to include.

On Thursday and Friday we wrote our own explanation texts about Liam the Gardener and the jobs he does in the park throughout the seasons.

In phonics we have been learning alternative spellings for the 'l' phone. Words we have read, sounded out and written in sentences include: 

le - nibble, tumble, grumble
el - towel, camel, travel
al - capital, hospital, animal
il - nostril, pencil, fossil

We have been practising our year two spellings in the mornings. Please continue to practise at home. 

In handwriting we have been learning the joined formation of y and j. Words we have written eye, jaw, yell and jay. 

In science this week we used our weather chart from home to interpret the data collected. The children looked at the information regarding particular days, made general statements about the week’s weather and gave reasons why it was eg the wettest day on Friday. They then wrote about their findings.

Thank you for helping your child make their rain gauge and weather vane so they could collect data about rainfall and wind direction.  Also for helping them find the temperature each day.  It was interesting how many different ways we can find out the temperature for each day.  They included using phones, ipads, watching the weather forecasts on TV and using an outdoor thermometer. 
We feel the children’s learning has been so cross curricular this term with all of your support.  Following instructions in English, to following instructions to make a weather station at home and using the weather symbols in science, geography and art.  

In geography this term, we have been learning about the weather in the UK and around the world. This week we have been learning about extreme weather in hot and cold countries. We have considered why some places are very hot or very cold, in relation to their position in the world. You could ask your children to find some hot and cold countries using a globe or atlas and ask them to explain why that country is hot or cold. If you have travelled to places with different climates to the UK, you may like to discuss with your children what you did there and what you needed to wear.